Monday, May 12, 2003

CONTACT: Dot Sparer, (706) 542-1446, dsparer@vet.uga.edu

ANIMAL VACCINE SCIENTIST IS NAMED GRA EMINENT SCHOLAR AT UGA

ATHENS, Ga. — A specialist in vaccine development and treatment approaches for respiratory virus infections joined the University of Georgia faculty as a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar on May 1.

Ralph A. Tripp, section chief of the Viral Immunology Section in the Respiratory and Enteric Viruses Branch of the CDC since 1997, joined the College of Veterinary Medicine’s department of medical microbiology and parasitology as GRA Eminent Scholar in Animal Health Vaccine Development.

Tripp’s research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of immunity and disease pathogenesis associated with respiratory virus infections. His studies specialize in understanding the foundation of innate and adaptive immune responses to viral respiratory infections.

The Georgia Research Alliance, started in 1990, is a partnership of state government, private industry and six leading research universities in Georgia, including UGA.

As part of its mission to leverage university research for economic development purposes, GRA provides the universities with support to help recruit scientists, known as eminent scholars, whose research can yield economic benefit to the state.

The appointment of Tripp, approved by the University System Board of Regents effective May 1, raises to 10 the number of GRA eminent scholars at UGA.

Tripp will have an important role in UGA’s burgeoning biomedical initiative said Gordhan Patel, vice president for research. "His research holds great promise for development of vaccines and treatments for viral respiratory diseases.

"Dr. Tripp’s research has helped to elucidate viral and host mechanisms that may contribute to immunity or disease pathogenesis following a respiratory viral infection. His work provides the foundation necessary for developing safe and effective vaccines or treatments for viral respiratory diseases," added Patel.

"Much of his work is at the fundamental research level, but his studies are crucial to our overall efforts to improve human and animal health."

While the ultimate expectation for the position is cutting-edge research, "Dr. Tripp also will be responsible for enhancing technology transfer to the public sector by collaborating with other college faculty members who are doing vaccine research," says Keith W. Prasse, dean of the veterinary college. "The overarching mission is technology transfer between research universities and the private sector."

Patel noted that the Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholars Program has spawned the creation of a number of biotechnology companies in Georgia. "This has become a model program for translating university research into economic gains, and many other states are trying to emulate it," Patel said.

"Dr. Tripp is on the cutting edge of molecular science focused on vaccine development," said Prasse. "He is highly qualified, excited about the responsibilities of the position and eager to begin. His appointment will seal a growing scientific relationship between the College of Veterinary Medicine and the CDC and greatly expands the college’s work in animal health vaccine development."

Tripp worked with the 1996 Nobel Laureate in Medicine, Peter Doherty, in the department of immunology of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, and was a post-doctoral fellow in the department of microbiology and immunology at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.

He is recipient or corecipient of more than $1.3 million in research grants and is the holder or coholder of six patents dealing with prevention and treatment of viral respiratory disease.

The author of more than 50 articles in refereed journals and chapters in nine books, he has made numerous invited presentations at universities and international conferences.

Tripp is a board member of the Journal of Cellular Immunology and of the Biological Response Modifiers Advisory Committee of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration.

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